Amstaad general discussion (almost there!)

Amstaad
was
IS an attempt at a site-written and site-run RPG that started back in the early days of the site.
It is currently being resurrected - inquire within if you want to help or play!
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Post Post #150 (ISO) » Sun Feb 24, 2013 5:27 pm

Post by CooLDoG »

I haven't had the time to help out on this. I know I should, but I don :(

any eta on when this will be done (ready to be played)? I might be able to play test some stuff in a dry run at some point.
after a wank.
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Post Post #151 (ISO) » Sun Feb 24, 2013 9:18 pm

Post by DeathNote »

oh never noticed that rules were done. Hmm... ok I suppose I should fulfill my end of the bargain and get some flavor up. If anyone wants to help, please let me know ASAP otherwise I am going to leave you in the dust!!!
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Post Post #152 (ISO) » Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:44 am

Post by inspiratieloos »

I thought I had sent you a PM.... My bad.
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Post Post #153 (ISO) » Tue Feb 26, 2013 11:23 am

Post by DeathNote »

No worries. Just so everyone knows, I am in the middle of a snow storm right now so getting online has been pretty hard. I am in the process of fixing up starting flavor to show everyone.
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Post Post #154 (ISO) » Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:13 am

Post by DeathNote »

WAS UP!?!?!?!!??!

I know I took far longer then what I originally intended to finish the flavor, but it is done. Finished. Ready, set, lets do this....

Ok...

So...

What do I do lol?

I can't just reveal everything here!?!?!?! How should we go about starting this up again? I can lead flavor missions and post info of the city I guess. I have an introduction flavor post that every player receives so maybe I can post that somewhere first?
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Post Post #155 (ISO) » Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:40 am

Post by inspiratieloos »

1. Post general information under the Amstaad account in a new thread.
2. Open the /in to mod thread. (The Amstaad Gamemasters group still exists afaik)
3. Provide the not-general information to mods.
4. Open the /in to play thread.
4. ???
5. Profit.
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Post Post #156 (ISO) » Mon Mar 18, 2013 11:47 am

Post by Amstaad »

Also, get an admin to make a Amstaad: Behind the scenes subforum which only the Amstaad Gamemasters can see (for step 3).

~inspire

Pedit: Sending Flay a PM.
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Post Post #157 (ISO) » Wed Apr 10, 2013 8:23 am

Post by Mr. Flay »

Sorry about the delay.

I have converted the current Amstaad group into a 'Worldbuilders' group, for admin-types. Do you need a separate forum for Gamemasters, or is this+1 sufficient?
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Post Post #158 (ISO) » Sat May 18, 2013 2:28 pm

Post by jeep »

Started back in the "Early days of the site"? Wow, amazing how ages merge together as more time passes. ;)
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Post Post #159 (ISO) » Sun May 19, 2013 7:05 am

Post by jeep »

Comments on general rules.

You might consider updating to the Fate core ladder. I was going to link it, but I guess it hasn't been freely published yet. It will be soon though. Backers of the project have had the preview copy for quite a while. They've made many awesome improvements.
+8 Legendary
+7 Epic
+6 Fantastic
+5 Superb
+4 Great
+3 Good
+2 Fair
+1 Average
0 Mediocre
-1 Poor
-2 Terrible
Advice:
Don't overdo the world creation. The only reason Amstaad isn't several years old is that I didn't have time to commit to running stuff. The city needs a basic structure, but after that, it should be able to live and adapt to what the mods and players add to the city through their descriptions. Actually, just read this in the Fate Core rules while looking something up for a comment below this:
One word of advice, though—don’t try to invent too much [of the setting] up
front. As you’ll see over the course of the chapter, you’re going to be generating
a lot of ideas just through the process of game and character creation, so
the details will come in time.
Advice:
Add this quote to the rules:
Both players and gamemasters also have a secondary job: make everyone
around you look awesome. Fate is best as a collaborative endeavor, with
everyone sharing ideas and looking for opportunities to make the events as
entertaining as possible.
You might edit it for the forums, though. Replace gamemasters with mods? etc.

Advice to mods
Remember that absolutely anything in Fate can be treated as a character. If you have a concern or question about how to treat some object, create it as a character.
They do not refresh. Once used, they are gone until you find a way to gain more.

The players shouldn't be looking to gain more. The mods should be looking to use them to compel. I would also suggest that if you do any campaign type side forums, which I had hoped would become fairly common, you would start with some number of fate tokens and figure out the appropriate refresh rate. Eliminating the concept of refresh also makes it harder to balance some things. But I think it should all be doable. It might make stunts better if you are going to use them.

question[
Why do aspects have levels?

Other stuff to add to descriptions
Characters in a game of Fate should be proactive. They have a variety of
abilities that lend themselves to active problem solving, and they aren't
timid about using them. They don’t sit around waiting for the solution to a
crisis to come to them—they go out and apply their energies, taking risks
and overcoming obstacles to achieve their goals.
Characters in a game of Fate are good at things. They aren’t bumbling fools
who routinely look ridiculous when they’re trying to get things done—
they’re highly skilled, talented, or trained individuals who are capable of
making visible change in the world they inhabit. They are the right people
for the job, and they get involved in a crisis because they have a good chance
of being able to resolve it for the better.
This doesn't mean they always succeed, or that their actions are without
unintended consequence. It just means that when they fail, it isn't because
they made dumb mistakes or weren't prepared for the risks.
Suggestion
Have a post at the top that lists some of the "big issues" in the city at the moment. ex.
A dramatic increase in pickpockets
might be on a region. The whole city might have something like
The Suicide Cult
because The Suicide Cult is trying to summon a Cthulu-like demon that will probably just destroy the entire city. This will put aspects on the entire city and give people something they can try to tackle. I suspect that this game will turn into warring factions of players at some point, but in the beginning, it will give players some guidance. It also gives the mods something to interact with the players with.

Add to character creation
Player characters should be exceptional and interesting. They could very
easily find success in less exciting situations than those that come their
way in play. You must figure out why
your character is going to keep getting
involved in these more dangerous
things. If you don’t, the GM is under no
obligation to go out of her way to make
the game work for you—she’ll be too
busy with other players who made characters
that have a reason to participate.
The golden rule of making aspects
in character creation:
you can always change it later.
If you’re struggling to make an
aspect, write out the idea in as
many words as you need to, in
order to get it down on paper
in the first place. If an aspect
pops up after you write it down,
great! If not, maybe someone
else at the table can help you
come up with an aspect. And
if you’re still stuck, leave it for
now—you’ll have plenty of time
during play to refine it.
And if you really need to, it’s
okay to leave some blank.
In Fate Core, they've added the idea of aspects being "High Concepts" and "Troubles" They are mildly helpful for people who didn't really grok aspects and how to make them interesting. If you think about them that way, it forces you to create aspects that are a little more interesting.

More later... Sorry for the wall of text.
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Post Post #160 (ISO) » Sun May 19, 2013 8:53 am

Post by inspiratieloos »

In post 159, jeep wrote:*ladder*
I see no reason not to use that one. Is the basic 'no skill' for a roll still mediocre (0 as opposed to -1 in the old ladder) in that ladder?
Advice:
*world creation*
Not really my thing, but that's probably a good idea considering how much we have so far...
Advice:
make everyone around you look awesome
That's a given, not sure if it should be added to the rules though.
They do not refresh. Once used, they are gone until you find a way to gain more.

The players shouldn't be looking to gain more. The mods should be looking to use them to compel. I would also suggest that if you do any campaign type side forums, which I had hoped would become fairly common, you would start with some number of fate tokens and figure out the appropriate refresh rate. Eliminating the concept of refresh also makes it harder to balance some things. But I think it should all be doable. It might make stunts better if you are going to use them.
I seem to recall it was a conscious choice to use FATE points continuously instead of per instance. I should probably clear the explanation up a bit though.
question[
Why do aspects have levels?
Someone who spends half his life in the military might be a Great soldier, while someone who did a short stint might only be a Fair soldier.
Other stuff to add to descriptions
Characters in a game of Fate should be proactive. They have a variety of
abilities that lend themselves to active problem solving, and they aren't
timid about using them. They don’t sit around waiting for the solution to a
crisis to come to them—they go out and apply their energies, taking risks
and overcoming obstacles to achieve their goals.
Characters in a game of Fate are good at things. They aren’t bumbling fools
who routinely look ridiculous when they’re trying to get things done—
they’re highly skilled, talented, or trained individuals who are capable of
making visible change in the world they inhabit. They are the right people
for the job, and they get involved in a crisis because they have a good chance
of being able to resolve it for the better.
This doesn't mean they always succeed, or that their actions are without
unintended consequence. It just means that when they fail, it isn't because
they made dumb mistakes or weren't prepared for the risks.
Suggestion
Have a post at the top that lists some of the "big issues" in the city at the moment. ex.
A dramatic increase in pickpockets
might be on a region. The whole city might have something like
The Suicide Cult
because The Suicide Cult is trying to summon a Cthulu-like demon that will probably just destroy the entire city. This will put aspects on the entire city and give people something they can try to tackle. I suspect that this game will turn into warring factions of players at some point, but in the beginning, it will give players some guidance. It also gives the mods something to interact with the players with.
Add to character creation
It's probably better to make a separate player/mod-guide since there's quite a lot here that's not really rules.

More later... Sorry for the wall of text.
No problem, it's appreciated, although no guarantees that we'll actually ever get this going.
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Post Post #161 (ISO) » Sun May 19, 2013 8:54 am

Post by inspiratieloos »

In post 159, jeep wrote:*ladder*
I see no reason not to use that one. Is the basic 'no skill' for a roll still mediocre (0 as opposed to -1 in the old ladder) in that ladder?
Advice:
*world creation*
Not really my thing, but that's probably a good idea considering how much we have so far...
Advice:
make everyone around you look awesome
That's a given, not sure if it should be added to the rules though.
They do not refresh. Once used, they are gone until you find a way to gain more.

The players shouldn't be looking to gain more. The mods should be looking to use them to compel. I would also suggest that if you do any campaign type side forums, which I had hoped would become fairly common, you would start with some number of fate tokens and figure out the appropriate refresh rate. Eliminating the concept of refresh also makes it harder to balance some things. But I think it should all be doable. It might make stunts better if you are going to use them.
I seem to recall it was a conscious choice to use FATE points continuously instead of per instance. I should probably clear the explanation up a bit though.
question[
Why do aspects have levels?
Someone who spends half his life in the military might be a Great soldier, while someone who did a short stint might only be a Fair soldier.
Add to character creation
It's probably better to make a separate player/mod-guide since there's quite a lot here that's not really rules.

More later... Sorry for the wall of text.
No problem, it's appreciated, although no guarantees that we'll actually ever get this going.
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Post Post #162 (ISO) » Sun May 19, 2013 9:14 am

Post by jeep »

"Good Soldier" and "Great Soldier" aren't really great aspects anyway... Aspects are things that really define the character. Being a "good soldier" is probably not enough to warrant an aspect. "The Military is my life" is better. (The capitalization of Military makes it cooler too... ;)
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Post Post #163 (ISO) » Sun May 19, 2013 9:59 am

Post by inspiratieloos »

That's probably the difference between the old and new FATE then, I took the soldier thing from sample characters in the rulebook.
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Post Post #164 (ISO) » Sun May 19, 2013 10:20 am

Post by jeep »

Even in old fate, it's not a great aspect. ;) But leveling aspects seems weird. How would you use a level 2 aspect vs a level 1 aspect?

I would think "Good Soldier" could be an aspect, but then how would you use "Great Soldier" any differently?
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Post Post #165 (ISO) » Sun May 19, 2013 10:49 am

Post by inspiratieloos »

Mechanically you could invoke it multiple times in a short time, flavour wise it would allow you to get away with more things along the lines of just happening to know the correct answer/information or a compulsion because of an Aspect will be harder to ignore.
FATE rulebook wrote:Players pick one or more aspects to represent important elements of the character that can tie into the events
of the phase.
Aspects are used to describe any element of the character. Aspects include things like attributes (Strong,
Weak, Agile, Charismatic, Tough, Fast, Slow), descriptors (Dutiful Charming, Alert, Dramatic), careers
(Knight, Mercenary, Musketeer, Cutthroat) or even ties to the setting (Merry Man of Sherwood, Initiate of
the Blue Wind, Fiodario Fencing Academy). Aspects may be good, bad or both but they should always reflect
some important element of the character.
When an aspect is chosen the character gains one level of that aspect, noted as follows:
!
Knight (Fair)
An aspect may be chosen again on a subsequent phase, in which case it goes up a level and is noted as:
!!
Knight (Good)
And then
!!!
Knight (Great)
The GM sets the maximum number of levels that can be chosen in a given aspect, but a good rule of thumb
is a third to a half of the total number of phases.
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Post Post #166 (ISO) » Sun May 19, 2013 12:10 pm

Post by jeep »

Huh... Wow, I guess I need to reread that section in Fate Core and older Fate. I don't even remember having levels of an aspect... not even faintly.

Wow.

-JEEP
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Post Post #167 (ISO) » Sun May 19, 2013 3:15 pm

Post by Mr. Flay »

I don't either. Spirit of the Century talks about how to make your Aspects "better", but it's talking about the description/title, not a leveling process.

:edit:
Here are a few "good—better—best" examples:

Bland: Swordsman.
Tasty: Trained Fencer.
Bam!: Trained by Montcharles.

Bland: Strong.
Tasty: Strong as Ten Men.
Bam!: Strong-Man in the Circus of Crime.

Bland: Dark Past.
Tasty: Reformed Evil Cultist.
Bam!: The Ebon Shroud Cult Wants Me Dead.
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Post Post #168 (ISO) » Wed May 22, 2013 12:38 am

Post by The Fonz »

In post 162, jeep wrote:"Good Soldier" and "Great Soldier" aren't really great aspects anyway... Aspects are things that really define the character. Being a "good soldier" is probably not enough to warrant an aspect. "The Military is my life" is better. (The capitalization of Military makes it cooler too... ;)
Not great, although it gives at least a series of in-character does and don't, so it's not terrible. 'Good soldier' says to me heads-down, uncomplaining conformist, decent memory, little individual initiative.
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Post Post #169 (ISO) » Wed May 22, 2013 1:18 pm

Post by AniX »

Here's my position: If your aspect could be applied to any other character perfectly, you are doing it wrong.

Ask: How many others sharing your aspect would there be in the world? If the answer is more than handful (unless to point of the aspect is by nature a group aspect[a secret club, a specific gang), your aspect is bad and you should feel bad. The SotC aspect chart Flay posted is good to reference, but go even further.
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Post Post #170 (ISO) » Thu May 23, 2013 6:18 pm

Post by jeep »

The aspect section in Fate Core is really good...
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Post Post #171 (ISO) » Sun Mar 02, 2014 1:37 pm

Post by Majiffy »

So how's this coming along?
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Post Post #172 (ISO) » Sun Mar 02, 2014 3:52 pm

Post by DeathNote »

Hey, stop posting in this thread. I don't like be reminded of what was to be :(
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Post Post #173 (ISO) » Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:04 pm

Post by Majiffy »

I, too, know the feels of disappoint.
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Post Post #174 (ISO) » Mon Dec 15, 2014 6:15 am

Post by Anatole Kuragin »

Why did this die the last time?
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